


Snow Day

by rosedarkling



Category: Deep-Sea Prisoner, Mogeko, Okegom, funamusea, 廃れ夢 | Obsolete Dream, 海底囚人, 海底囚人 | Deep-Sea Prisoner, 灰色庭園 | Haiiro Teien | The Gray Garden
Genre: Kissing, M/M, Mistletoe, Snow, Snow Day, Wholesome, hand holding, past mention of abuse/torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27978426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosedarkling/pseuds/rosedarkling
Summary: Sometimes even the devil of an entire realm needs a day to enjoy both the cold and warmth a snow day can provide.
Relationships: Ivlis/Satanick (Gray Garden)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Snow Day

**Author's Note:**

> January 3, 2021 Update: I screech and cry in joy at another lovely commission from a beautiful friend and human being! Please go give all the love to Moon over on her twitter and social medias for her lovely work on the kiss scene! Moon, I love you! <3 
> 
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/Moonplatart/status/1345826967619305473  
> Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJmKS40BtH0/  
> Tumblr: https://moonplata.tumblr.com/post/639323316069548032/commission-by-my-dear-friend-rosedarkling-an#notes

The blast of cold air was the first thing that hit the flame devil’s pale face as he manifested into the Pitch Black World. He knew that the weather was quite different in this realm than in his own, but he would never have fathomed that something so frigid would exist in this world. Though – truth be told – he would never have imagined that he would be coming to this world as frequently as he did. He had nobody to blame but himself for this; well, himself and the one that had talked him into this. Holding the hands of his children on either side of him, Ivlis looked down at his feet where his black boots now crunched. The gravel and stones that led up the walkway to Satanick’s castle was certainly one of the culprits behind the noise, but so was the layer of white, fluffy powder underneath his soles. As Ivlis breathed out, he could see his breath forming in front of him in a white cloud. He knew the weather in this realm was certainly odd, but never had he seen anything quite like this before. Satanick had called him over, insisting that he bring his family along with him, saying that he had something “important” to show the flame devil. Was this strange substance and temperature to blame?

Ivlis felt the light squeeze to his left hand, and he looked down at his son. The boy’s face was tilted up to look at his mother, his yellow-orange eyes sparkling with wonder. Despite this, Ivlis noticed how the boy was lightly shivering. Of course he would be; he was only wearing his typical black uniform with matching shorts. “Mama, what is this?”

As Ivlis opened his mouth to give an inconclusive answer to his son, the squeal of delight at his right interrupted him. Ivlis turned to face his daughter, who – despite wearing nothing but her typical red and white dress – was now jumping up and down in glee. “Papa! Look at it! Isn’t it so pretty?” Despite not exactly know what _it_ was, Poemi seemed to have no qualms about taking delight in such a thing.

“It’s snow, Poemi!”

Speak of the devil - there stood the ruler of this world at the foot of his stone stairs which were now being coated in this white substance. Ivlis blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing things correctly, as the man that was typically dressed in all black now wore a thick, gray sweater instead of his usual suit attire. Around his neck was what appeared to be a long, black scarf. He still sported his typical black pants, but seeing Satanick in something other than his typical wear had Ivlis feeling a bit off. He didn’t usually see Satanick in such a thing; though, truth be told, Ivlis only saw Satanick in a few things or nothing at all.

Shaking his head at such a ridiculous thought, Ivlis looked Satanick right in the face. Even from this distance, he could see those deep purple eyes locked onto him. The devil wore a cheerful yet almost melancholic look on his face as he met Ivlis’s gaze. The flame devil could already feel himself becoming fidgety with his gaze on him. Satanick and him might be on better terms these days, but it still had this otherworldly demon feeling strangely odd whenever Satanick would stare at him with such interest. All Ivlis managed to ask as he tried to stop the racing thoughts in his mind was, “Snow?” Even the word slipping off his tongue sounded so foreign.

“Of course, my Buri,” Satanick cheerfully announced. “It’s the typical thing one would expect around the holiday season, is it not?” Ah, there was that teasing once more. Of course Satanick knew Ivlis would not know what this cold substance was that slowly drifted down from the overcast skies of this world. He had barely understood what rain was when he first learned of that. Unfortunately, it seemed that that precipitation was often reserved for when Satanick was in a state of sadness or despair. At least, that’s what Ivlis had come to determine thanks to Satanick’s penchant for his past actions. To this day, Ivlis still could not quite understand what this maniacal devil had going on in that head of his. Perhaps those strange, tree-like horns had finally curled into his brain, causing it to deteriorate. Wishful thinking, Ivlis knew; if it had not been for the decades of first-hand experience with Satanick, one could assume that the cycle of Satanick’s moods was from something as ludicrous as his horns.

However, Ivlis knew; he knew better than anyone.

Once more lost in his own thoughts – why did this always have to be the norm when seeing this man? – Ivlis was thankfully snapped free from them when Poemi let go of her father’s hand. Her own red, scaled claws now reached down underneath her red flats to scoop up a handful of this frozen precipitation and toss it over head, letting it shower down over her even more. Cold it might be, but the girl seemed to find it quite amusing. “It’s snow, Papa! They have snow in this world! Just like on those movies.”

Satanick’s chuckle had Ivlis now facing this man again. He stood in his same position in front of the stone stairs of his looming castle, his right hand now on his hip. “You don’t remember snow from even the movies, huh, Ivlis? That’s just sad.” He chuckled even more when he saw Ivlis’s face scrunch up in distaste at Satanick’s odd sense of humor. Ivlis should have been used to this by now; in some ways, he was numb to it. Yet it still easily got under his skin when Satanick would tease him like this, especially in front of his children. Of course, Licorice did not tolerate that from Satanick. Licorice was Satanick’s child, but he was a pure Mama’s boy. The child must have sensed Ivlis’s discomfort, as he tightened his grip on Ivlis’s hand, narrowing his eyes at his father.

Ivlis let out a light sigh, his breath once more fogging in front of him. “Licorice, it’s fine,” he whispered down at the boy to reassure him. He did not want the boy reverting to his adult form and attacking Satanick for something as trivial as mild teasing. The child looked back up at Ivlis and nodded politely. A simple reprimand from Mama was all it seemed to redirect the boy. Still, Ivlis could feel his blood pumping throughout his body and his agitation growing the longer they stood out in this freezing weather.

“So, why did you call us here?” Blunt and to the point, Ivlis asked Satanick the looming question. 

The devil lord grinned as he proudly declared, “Isn’t it obvious, Buri-chan? It’s a snow day!” He opened his arms wide in a flourish, his black scarf momentarily moving when he did. “What better way than to spend it with the family?”

“Really?” Ivlis couldn’t help but utter such a bland and dry response to Satanick’s enthusiasm. “That’s what your “important” notice is? A snow day?” The flame devil did not even feel the need to roll his eyes, as his voice was already dripping with disdain and annoyance.

The devil merely smiled, seemingly pleased with himself. “That’s right!” he cheerfully announced, earning another sigh out of Ivlis and another chuckle from the taller man.

“You could have warned me about this whole thing, you know,” Ivlis continued, though somewhat mumbling more to himself than Satanick. He did not want to invoke this man’s ire; Satanick could be smiling happily one minute and smiling creepily the next if given the right circumstances.

“Aww, I see you’re worried about the cold. Not to worry, Buri; I have that planned out as well.” Satanick turned around, a wave of his hand swinging the large wooden doors of his palace open. The tiny snowflakes that drifted down onto his dark hair stood out as he happily called out, “Well, come on in. Let’s get everyone ready for the day.”

Poemi – who had happily been throwing pile after pile of snow around her – took the chance to follow through on this offer. “Thanks, Lico’s Papa!” she cheered out. Her shoes crunched across the blanket of powder as she ran past him and up the stairs into the castle.

Ivlis went to call out after her, only to resign his words into another breathy sigh. Nothing he could say would deter his daughter from her mission; right now, that was clearly to do whatever she had to do in order to get to play more in this messed-up world.

Licorice was a bit more cautious than the child made from Ivlis’s flame, hanging back with Ivlis, as if awaiting his approval. Ivlis gave a curt nod to his son, wordlessly acknowledging that it was fine to go along with this. The black-haired boy nodded, slipping his porcelain hand out from Ivlis’s as he jogged past his father to follow Poemi, who was already loudly exclaiming how large the inside of the castle was while standing in the foyer. Ivlis watched Satanick watch their boy head past him. Once more, Ivlis could not help but notice that the boy looked too much like his father with the familiar color of the horns, albeit the shape took more akin to his mother’s.

Ivlis was not particularly pleased to be in this world once more, but he could at least be a bit grateful that Satanick had invited the kids inside and out of the cold. Crossing his arms over his chest, Ivlis stood in his position, not caring that the snow had begun to accumulate over his long gray coat and scarf that spread out around him, acting as his replacement wings. He was not quite sure what to do. Part of him felt frozen in place, and not from the cold. He wanted to make sure that Poemi was behaving herself, but he also felt the instinctual need to run. Satanick had not recently been hurting him – in fact, he had honestly been doting on him a bit too much, despite the insensitive nicknames he still said. In truth, even those names began to be said in a more sweet tone, causing the flame devil to feel even further confused and awkward around this man.

Satanick did not seem to mind Ivlis’s hesitation. In fact, he seemed to relish in the flame devil’s stubbornness. Satanick simply reached a hand out towards Ivlis, who was still a few feet away from him. Seeing the man reach for him in open invitation like this had Ivlis a tad startled, but Satanick kept his palm facing upward and not grasping for him. “Come on, come on,” he practically sang out. “You’ll catch a cold out here if you don’t bundle up enough.”

Ivlis only crooked an eyebrow at him in further confusion. “Uh huh,” he simply hummed out. He already had his typical coat and scarf on, so he did not understand this man’s line of reasoning. Still, he did find himself a bit chillier than normal. He supposed it was that his body was not used to such a contrasting temperature. His world was always hot thanks to the flames there, but he had gotten used to such warmth over the decades. This was all so new to him – both the snow and Satanick’s sweet side. He could not help but wonder what the demon was planning in that corrupt head of his, yet his features did not betray anything sinister. If anything, it was filled with that same melancholic look he had seen earlier.

“Wellll ~ ?” Satanick sang out, awaiting Ivlis’s response.

Another deep sigh and Ivlis found himself striding forward now, keeping his fists clenched at his side. “Fine. I’m coming.” He chose to ignore Satanick’s giggle at his choice of words, and the flame devil found himself beginning to warm up as embarrassment coursed through him.

Perhaps the day would go faster for him if he simply ignored the devil lord. Though, something inside him told him that this was not going to be the case for him.

In a strange way… he did not mind that as much as usual.

Ivlis kept his head lowered as he walked through the town with Satanick. The beige knit sweater that he was now wearing was comfortable enough providing it’s warmth to him, yet the flame devil found himself heated up more than normal. The obvious conclusion was thanks to Satanick insisting on bringing him into the town that was nestled below his castle. It was a quaint enough place filled with all manner of demons, yōkai, and creatures Ivlis did not quite know about. Still, that was the problem! Ivlis could not help but feel eyes on him as Satanick’s left hand gripped Ivlis’s claws in his. The cheery devil practically seemed to skip down the cobblestone streets that were filling with snow, but that did not seem to deter him or others from bustling around. The more that Ivlis found himself being paraded around with Satanick, the more he could feel his cheeks and tips of his hair brightening.

“I’m not some sort of pet you walk around, you know,” Ivlis found himself mumbling out as Satanick jovially kept humming and walking along with him. Such insolence would have normally been the cue for Ivlis to be struck, but these days, it seemed that even his attitude and quips towards Satanick were no longer getting under the man’s skin. In a way, it did give him a sense of relief that Satanick was being a bit “kinder” to him. Yet, he could not help but also be filled with a sense of confusion as his chaotic thoughts swirled in his mind and heart. The man had already told him plenty of times that he loved him, after all….

Ivlis found himself pressing his lips tightly together as he froze in his tracks, not budging even when Satanick kept walking, a slight tug to his arm as he kept his hand locked in Ivlis’s. The devil turned around to face the other, snow still beading onto his black hair and dark gray sweater as he pondered the sudden stop.

“Hmm?” Satanick hummed out. “What’s the matter, Ivlis?”

Again – his name and not that Buri-chan one. Why did Satanick have to say and do things that only confounded Ivlis more and more these days?

“I – I want to go check on the kids.” Words that he had not even planned on saying – or saying anything, for that matter – slipped past his lips. Still, they did ring out with some truth. Satanick had insisted that Poemi and Licorice would be perfectly fine playing in the wide expanse of yard and gardens, but Ivlis still found himself worried to leave his children alone. Well, he supposed they weren’t truly alone. After all, they had made a new friend today….

….

_Ivlis could not help but stare in amazement at the girl before him. She only came up to about waist height on him, so he knew she was still relatively young – or so he assumed. With how she appeared, it was hard to tell her actual age. The flame devil had never seen a creature like her before; her skin was pallid, her eyes green yet reflective like window panes, and her hair was a mixture of pink straight hair and black curly locks. In many ways, she looked like a doll; the stitching that stretched from the top of her forehead and down the left-hand side of her face did not help either. Still, the girl seemed pleased with meeting Poemi and Licorice upon Satanick’s introduction of them._

_“Everyone, this is Crea,” Satanick proudly declared, his hand resting atop the girl’s left shoulder as he stood behind her like a proud parent. “She’ll be joining us for our fun-filled day. So treat her well, okay?”_

_That seemed like a simple enough task, as Poemi eagerly went up to Crea and began chatting to her. Licorice was a bit more reserved, though he did not seem to mind the girl. If anything, his large yellow-orange eyes seemed to indicate that he was fascinated with the child, too. Ivlis had to admit that he was, as well. When had a child been living in Satanick’s home? Was she perhaps the daughter of one of Satanick’s subordinates or castle residents? That seemed the most logical answer. However, Ivlis could not help but find it strange that the child had her very own room decked out in black and pink. Just who was she, and why did it appear as if Satanick doted on her?_

_Perhaps it was all in his imagination._

_Besides, why should he care? Ivlis did not particularly want to know more about Satanick than he already did. He had enough conclusions drawn about the man, so why should he question why a kid was here?_

_That being said, this child – Crea – seemed polite enough. While she followed Poemi around her own room as Poemi went from location to location to point out and ask about Crea’s collection of books, games, and toys, Satanick instructed the younger ones to prepare themselves for the festivities. The devil directed them to a nearby pile of clothing that was already prepared – a medley of hats, gloves, scarves, and even pants and jackets for both Licorice and the girls. Of course…. Satanick always had to have things ready on his end while Ivlis stood there in pure disillusionment at how his day was progressing._

_It did not take long for the kids to get themselves ready, bundled up in what Ivlis assumed was typical attire for this type of weather. In some ways, he did find it a bit… cute, he supposed. Seeing Poemi try to put a red cap atop her head to match her red coat was certainly a sight to see, as the girl soon realized her curved, red horns were stopping her. Even Licorice seemed to be enjoying himself as he stared down at the little black mittens that covered his hands. The boy had insisted on wearing a black and red scarf, and Ivlis could see he kept glancing over at Ivlis, as if comparing this garment to his mother’s._

_Satanick joyfully told them to head back outside and enjoy the day, despite its overcast and gray skies; typical for a snow day, Ivlis assumed. The kids eagerly obeyed, their boots and outfits shuffling across the linoleum floors of the castle hallways. Ivlis began to follow, only for Satanick to stop him by grabbing onto Ivlis’s hand. A shudder traveled up Ivlis’s spine, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. He turned to face Satanick with a somewhat disturbed glare. Satanick laughed this off, now directing Ivlis to the pile of clothing piled atop the pink-cushioned lounge chair. All he did was smile cockily at Ivlis, pointing out that he, too, had to get ready for the weather._

_Ivlis wanted to protest, but he knew from just the way Satanick kept his eyes locked onto his that it would be pointless to even do so. With a resigned sigh, Ivlis pulled his hand from Satanick to head over to the chair. He right away noticed a beige sweater that was his size, pulling it up to inspect it. He could not help but look back over his shoulder at Satanick, who still stood there with that smug smile across his face. With another resigned sigh, Ivlis began to undo his scarf and gray military jacket. He felt a tad disgusted to be undressing in front of this man; yes, he was still clothed in his white, long-sleeve shirt, but anytime he was around others – especially Satanick! – he found this simple act nerve-wracking. As quickly as he could, the flame devil pulled the garment over his torso. He stared down at it along his frame, having to admit that it was quite comfortable. It actually fit perfectly, as well… like it was made for him._

_As Ivlis tried to stave off such ridiculous thoughts, a long, thick strip of fabric now draped around in front of his face and over his neck. Sensitive as he was and always alerted, Ivlis immediately tensed up and gasped out as he felt the object slightly tighten around his throat. Satanick merely chuckled as he now tossed the edges of this scarf back over Ivlis’s shoulders to drape down his chest. He had not particularly felt like he was being choked, but the sudden sensation had Ivlis once more lost in a sea of emotions – anger, embarrassment, and something else he could not quite identify. Still, his pounding heart and rushing blood in his veins did not help with these escalated feelings. Ivlis whirled around to now glare at the devil lord, his golden eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists at his sides._

_“Relax, Buri, relax,” Satanick teased, his silky voice a concoction of teasing and sweetness. “I thought I was clear when I said to bundle up earlier lest you catch a cold.”_

_With nary a moment to even breathe, Ivlis was dragged hand in hand out of Crea’s room, down the corridors, and back out into the cold, white world. Ivlis had practically tripped over his feet as he tried to keep up with Satanick’s fast and fluid movements, only earning him more teasing from Satanick – something about Ivlis possessing two left feet. Thankfully, the blast of cold air and the cheerful screeching of a happy Poemi jarred Ivlis back to reality. He had to admit – seeing the peaceful and quiet fluff drifting from the heavy clouds above was quite pretty to look at. He could see that all three of the children had wasted no time in finding activities to perform in the snow. All of them seemed to be attempting to make what Crea called a “snow angel," a feat that Poemi seemed to struggle with due to her small dragon-like wings that protruded from her back. Still, it seemed that this did not upset her as Ivlis would have imagined; they laughed it off before the kids moved onto the next activity of building “snowmen.” All the while, Ivlis stood with his arms crossed over his chest, letting the cold sink into him._

_All the while, he pondered just what in the world was happening in this crazy world and in the mind of this crazy devil._

_He also could not help but wonder... just what his own crazy mind was telling him._

….

“Ivlis ~ !”

Satanick’s sing-song trill snapped Ivlis back to reality, only to be met face first with something golden-brown, warm, and sweet-smelling. The flame devil was a bit taken aback by this, but he soon determined what he was looking at. Some sort of bread was held in front of him by a wrapping of some sort that Satanick held onto. Steam rose from this fresh-shaped object, though it smelled much sweeter than what its design showed. Ivlis blinked a few times to refocus his eyes on the pastry and then on Satanick. “What is it?”

“Wow, Buri,” Satanick teased. “You really have led a sheltered life over in that world, huh?” Ivlis’s face scowled, and Satanick giggled. “Go on, go on! Don’t be shy. They make really good taiyaki at this stand. Trust me.”

Ah, that explained it – the two had stopped in front of a local food vendor, it seemed. Ivlis could see others lining up at this place, so he did his best to quickly move out of the way. He did not exactly want to be seen or around that many of this world’s denizens. Worse, he did not want to be seen with Satanick like this. It felt... strange. What even was this? Just the two of them wandering this town, being given food like this. The flame devil was only further confused with all of this.

The warm pastry being pressed to his lips now snapped Ivlis out of his daze as Satanick began to poke him with the item. “Buriiii ~ !” he openly whined. “Eat it, eat it! I bought it for you, you know. See? It’s not poison. I have one too.” The devil held up his other hand to show Ivlis the same desert before taking a bite out of it, practically chomping off the fish’s head. Ivlis watched as Satanick chewed, giving a happy grin like that of a child. From the opening atop the fish’s head, Ivlis could make out gooey, brown liquid. Satanick licked his lips, proclaiming, “Chocolate will provide you some flavor, won’t it, Buri?”

A not-so-subtle hint at Ivlis’s past traumas. Even in these “kind” deeds of his, he just had to rub some salt in the wound, didn’t he? At least, that’s how Ivlis saw things. His taste buds had been severely damaged over the years thanks to Satanick’s torture methods, and the flame devil hated these reminders. He felt the anger rising in him slightly, but the sweet treat against his lips was providing some level of flavor to him. It had been a long time since Satanick had touched him; well, in horrible ways, yes. Come to think of it, his taste had been returning to him bit by bit.... 

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Ivlis snatched the taiyaki from Satanick’s hand, chomping into it. Even biting off a chunk of the pastry was a bit satisfying for the devil; he could perhaps take his annoyance out on the inanimate food item. Warm chocolate flooded his mouth, and Ivlis found the sweetness tingling across his tongue. It was not overly as sweet as he thought it would be, but he chalked that up to his tastes. Still, it was quite good. Ivlis nibbled at the taiyaki, keeping his eyes focused on the food and down at the ground. He was honestly a bit worried what he would see if he made eye contact with Satanick. The man would only tease him further, most likely. Instead, Ivlis kept his gaze downward, ignoring the cold as warmth filled his stomach.

Finally, he finished, crumbling the filmy paper in his hand to toss into a nearby garbage bin. Taking a breath, his golden eyes now met Satanick’s purple one. The man stood there giddily, even humming to himself as he clasped his hands behind his back. “What’s that look for?” Ivlis found himself asking. Was he seriously gloating over Ivlis having eaten the desert? That’s certainly what it appeared to be.

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Satanick hummed out, though his expression said otherwise.

As Ivlis allowed the cold air to soak back into him once more, a voice stood above the random passerby’s voices.

“Lord Devil!”

Satanick’s giddy expression now turned to one of shock as he seemingly recognized this voice. He frowned and quickly glanced around behind Ivlis. The flame devil could not help but turn to look, as well, yet he did not spot anything peculiar among the crowd of demons and yokai. A firm grip on his hand had Ivlis turning back around to face the devil lord.

“Quick; in here!”

Ivlis did not even have a moment to spare as Satanick yanked him into a nearby alleyway. Not much snow had accumulated between the two buildings they stood near, but it was still quite chilly inside the darkened space. Satanick slipped further back into the shadows, pulling Ivlis along with him. The flame devil barely had a chance to rebuttal as Satanick pushed Ivlis’s back against the cold, stone wall of the building on the left. He slid close to him, as if trying to minimize the two of them in the alleyway. Still, Ivlis found the distance between them too close for his liking. He opened his mouth to protest, but Satanick slid his right hand up, placing it over the flame devil’s lips. Ivlis naturally wanted to fight back, but he simply narrowed his eyes instead. He could see that Satanick was not extremely focused on him at the moment; his stare was off towards the entryway of the alleyway, making sure that neither of them had been noticed.

Ivlis stood perfectly still, breathing through his nostrils in small puffs of clouds from the mingling of hot and cold. He could hear the crunching of boots passing by among the chatter and bustle of the town. Another call of, “Mr. Devil!” had Ivlis looking out of the corner of his eye to see a flash of black and olive green passing by. Was that that goat demon of Satanick’s? That right-hand man of his was looking for the devil, but Satanick clearly did not want to be found. Ivlis simply waited until he saw Satanick sigh out, his own breath visible in front of him. His gaze soon turned back to Ivlis, whose golden eyes stared at him in annoyance. The small smile that Satanick gave Ivlis had the flame devil shiver, and not from the cold. The devil lord lowered his hand off Ivlis’s mouth, letting his fingers linger a bit longer on his face. His drifting fingers now rested on Ivlis’s chin.

Neither said anything for a moment as they simply stared at each other, their breath mingling in front of themselves in clouds. Ivlis was the first to speak up to try to avoid the awkward silence. “Would you back up?” he snapped at Satanick, though it was not much of a jab – more of a stutter that he hoped would be equated to the chill in the air.

Satanick’s expression took a moment to change back to its usual cheeky smile. “Aww, what’s wrong, Buri-chan?” Satanick only moved in closer now, his chest touching Ivlis’s. Even with both of their sweaters and scarves between them, Ivlis could feel his warmth. Come to think of it, his fingers were also quite warm on his face. Ivlis could not help but feel his body both freeze and heat up at the same time. “Are you not warm enough?” 

Ivlis scoffed at him, his tongue flicking off the back of his teeth as he turned his face away. He could see random passerby in the street, not paying any mind to the dark alley or the two devils located inside. With a smirk of his own, Ivlis turned his face back towards Satanick. “So, what’s your excuse? Running off from your own subordinates now?” He knew mocking Satanick was probably not the wisest decision, yet feeling so out-of-control of his own life made Ivlis want to gravitate towards something he knew he could have a handle on – his own sarcastic mouth.

A somewhat melancholic flicker in Satanick’s purple eyes spoke to Ivlis that perhaps he was a bit… harsh. Not that he should care; Satanick was not the nicest with words or actions. Still, it pricked a part of him to see that.

“Yes, well,” Satanick sighed out as he finally slid his fingers off of Ivlis’s chin. “I suppose we should head back to the castle then. Envi will not be back there for a while, I am sure. That was probably his first place to look for me.”

That was not exactly an answer, but Ivlis supposed he would settle for that. Besides, he could not dig this out of Satanick. What he could not pinpoint was why his curiosity nibbled at the edges of his mind on why Satanick’s mood seemed to be fluctuating so much today. Was this the reason for this strange weather phenomenon?

Satanick’s hand once more clasped onto Ivlis’s, and the flame devil merely followed along with this world’s ruler. At the very least, he would be able to see Poemi and Licorice again to make sure they were behaving themselves.

Ivlis blinked a few times upon returning to the courtyard with Satanick. His limbs were a bit cold, yet they possessed certain numbness to them that only cold air and movement could combine to make. He first heard the mild chatter and giggles of children as they approached, soon seeing the kids sitting on the stone steps, mugs in their hands. Licorice happily sat between the two girls, the mug of warm liquid – he could see the steam rising from their cups – hitting his face as he cheerfully sipped on it. The boy did not seem to mind the two girls talking over his head as he continued to drink this beverage. Such a sight was different to say the least, but what Ivlis found even more peculiar was the shape of rounded snow figures off towards the side of the yard. There appeared to be five of them in total – two larger ones positioned behind three smaller ones. Immediately, Ivlis could recognize what – or rather, whom – they were representing based on the addition of shoddily made horns atop the snow creatures heads. All but one sported these accessories, and the one that did not instead had a hexagonal shape on the side of its head.

“Papa!” Poemi’s cheerful trill echoed across the white landscape as she noticed the pair had returned. The girl rose to her feet, as did her companions, though Licorice still continued to eagerly nurse the liquid near his mouth. “Did you see our snowmen? Aren’t they wonderful?”

Satanick was the first to speak up, much to Ivlis’s relief. He was unsure what to respond to Poemi’s question. Of course, he supported them having fun and creating such things, but seeing the makeshift creatures lined up this way had the flame devil feeling strange. It was as if he was staring at a family….

“They are amazing!” Satanick happily called out, slipping his hand from Ivlis’s as he approached the kids. Ivlis soon followed in tow, keeping his thoughts to himself as he absentmindedly looked off at the lumps of snow. “You three did a beautiful job,” the devil praised. He smiled down at them upon seeing the mugs in their hands. “Hot coco, I see. Good choice.”

Crea was the one to speak up now, her voice soft yet sweet. “Envi made this for us, Lord Devil. It’s very good.” The girl held her cup up towards Satanick with a soft smile. “Would you like to try some? There is plenty more in the kitchen, too.” 

Bending over at the hips, Satanick placed his lips on the edge of the extended cup, and Crea giggled as she gently tilted it upwards, allowing Satanick to drink. The devil pulled back, a grin on his face. “You are right, Crea. It’s very good.”

Ivlis stood back as he watched the whole exchange. Just what in the world was this? How could such a cruel man display such affection and kindness towards children and others? Come to think of it, he had been unusually gentler with Ivlis today, too, despite his flamboyancy. Perhaps this strange weather was just another symptom of the world truly going mad around him, Ivlis imagined.

The soft crunching of shoes below him had Ivlis now looking down to see Licorice standing there, his large eyes watching his mother intently as he held up his own mug towards him. “Mama, try some. It’s delicious.” The boy’s reddened cheeks from the cold air yet warm drink spoke of his love for sweets, as did the gleam in his eyes.

Before Ivlis could respond, Satanick snuck up behind Licorice, bending over once more to this time place his mouth near Licorice’s mug. “How about some more for dear Papa, Lico?” the proud father joked, much to the boy’s annoyance. His golden eyes narrowed as he glared sideways at his father, who merely chuckled as he straightened back up. “I kid, I kid,” he explained, placing his left hand atop the boy’s head to muss up his hair between his purple horns. Licorice’s eyes closed in agitation, but he did not lash out against his father.

Satanick now announced his next brilliant plan. “Let’s go inside, everyone,” he called out. “There’s plenty more in there.” Ivlis inferred he was talking about that coco drink despite him not stating such. Poemi happily cheered out her response, heading up the steps once more like she owned the place and was making herself comfortable here. Crea politely followed after her, and with some coercion of Satanick’s hand upon Licorice’s back, the boy began to head up the stairs as well. A simple wave of Satanick’s hand was all it took for the doors to swing inwards, sending out a warm glow of the inner lighting.

As the children disappeared up the steps and into the waiting foyer, Ivlis found himself once more alone in the cold with Satanick. The man’s purple gaze turned back towards him after watching the kids head inside. Ivlis simply met his gaze for a moment, seeing that same cocky grin of Satanick’s. Yet, it still held a hidden undertone in his expression. Just what was that from? Ivlis turned his face away, as if staring off at the snowman family. _Don’t even think about it,_ he told himself. There was no point in musing over something insignificant as this, right? Why should he care how Satanick’s mood was? It only affected him if Satanick came after him. So no need to think about it.

Right?

Satanick’s distended hand once more offered out to him had the devil facing the other one. No words; just a simple extended invitation. Ivlis let out a light sigh before complying, though he did not want to take Satanick’s hand anymore. Hadn’t they already done enough of that today? He could still feel those fingers around his claws even now. Ivlis headed past Satanick to begin ascending the stone stairs, careful of his steps due to the powdery accumulation. Satanick followed close behind, much to Ivlis’s awareness.

Reaching the threshold of the door, Ivlis felt a tug on his right sleeve, making him freeze once more. He turned to look over his shoulder at Satanick, his long ponytail moving over the back of his sweater. “What?” he asked, a bit snidely in his tone.

Satanick offered Ivlis a coy smile before spinning him around slightly to gently push the flame devil’s back against the door frame. Ivlis could feel the edges of the wall along his back, but he did not mind them; what he did mind was Satanick once more face to face with him as he pushed his body against his, his left hand curled underneath Ivlis’s chin. He tilted his face up with his thumb, rubbing circles with it on his skin. Ivlis’s eyes widened as he saw that gleam in Satanick’s eye. “What now?” he couldn’t help but moan out. He had meant to sound a bit more angry, but that did not seem to become vocalized as he had hoped. He found his breath caught in his throat, assuming it was once more thanks to Satanick’s unabashed pushiness.

Satanick gave a cheeky grin to Ivlis as he nodded his head upwards. “Look up, Ivlis.”

Ivlis raised an eyebrow in confusion, but his curiosity got the better of him. He obliged and lifted his head a bit, Satanick’s hand still cupping underneath his chin. Ivlis wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he soon spotted a sprig of some sort hanging over the door. Nestled in its middle were three red, small berries. The flame devil only became more confused at such a thing. He lowered his head again to stare at Satanick in bewilderment. “A twig? Really?”

Satanick began to laugh – a deep, hearty laugh from his chest – and Ivlis could feel its vibrations with his proximity to him. While Satanick closed his eyes in amusement, Ivlis narrowed his, hating to be laughed at for something as so simple as a comment. Ivlis raised his right hand up to grip onto Satanick’s wrist, ready to push him away. “Knock it off!” he protested. “You’re so annoying.”

Satanick only chuckled further, soon settling himself down and opening his eyes. Ivlis could see tears in the corners of his eyes from laughing and his cheeks were a bit rosier thanks to this, as well. He could also feel his own cheeks were red, but in humiliation at being mocked for his lack of knowledge of this world.

“Oh, Ivlis, you really are adorable.”

Ivlis did not even have a moment to snap back, as he soon found Satanick’s mouth meshed against his in a tender kiss. This only caused Ivlis’s eyes to now widen and his cheeks to grow even hotter. It wasn’t uncommon for Satanick to do these things to him out of the blue; nevertheless, it always left Ivlis feeling even more embarrassed, confused, and unnecessarily warm. He moaned in the back of his throat as a mild protest, but he found himself not pushing back as much as he should have. Something about the way Satanick’s lips met his was making his legs feel weak, his head fuzzy, and his hair begin to glow. He felt so warm. Despite this, he also felt his clothes becoming wet thanks to the snow that still drifted down from the sky. The gentle yet firm push of Satanick’s mouth on his had Ivlis blushing now, and he shut his eyes to try to quell the feelings raging inside of him as his blood thumped wildly in his veins. Once Satanick opened his mouth to draw in a breath, Ivlis released his hand off of Satanick’s wrist to put them on his shoulders, pushing him back so he, too, could get air back in. The two stood there as they breathed out, both of their breath forming clouds in front of them.

Ivlis had opened his eyes to now glare at Satanick in annoyance. “What was that for?!” Even now, his voice sounded meek.

Satanick simply laughed once more as he lowered his hands down, slipping them into the front pockets of his dark pants. “It’s customary, Buri.”

“Excuse me?” Ivlis muttered out, not sure what else to say in response to such an odd choice of words.

Satanick nodded his head up at the sprig of green and red. “That’s mistletoe. It’s a lovely little plant with many uses and traditions surrounding it. Poisons, treatments – useful for many things.” He then gave another coy smile at Ivlis. “But my favorite is the tradition of kissing underneath it. Best part is that the one who refuses the kiss will have bad luck. Though, I don’t think that will be for either of us this year since you didn’t exactly refuse. I can tell by the puddle around you, Ivlis-chan.”

Ivlis’s eyes widened at that statement to once more narrow as he quickly glanced down around him. So that’s what the wetness had been that he had felt earlier; the snow that had accumulated on and around him had melted thanks to his own heat. Times like these only left him feeling agitated that he possessed the ability of flames. Ivlis’s fists clenched as he felt his cheeks becoming even warmer. Why did his body have to react this way, especially in front of this man?!

Still, Satanick did not seem to mind this in the least. In fact, those phlox-colored irises were once more staring at the flame devil with those same bright yet saddened eyes. All Ivlis could do was stand there, once more letting the falling snow drift over him as he tried to cool himself down.

“Well, let’s not dawdle any further,” Satanick announced, pulling back further as he now made his way into the castle’s entryway. “I’m sure the kiddos are waiting for their treats. I think I’m pretty full, for now, at least.” With a wink of his left eye cast over at Ivlis, Satanick’s boots echoed off the floor the further down he went, leaving Ivlis standing there in a frozen yet warm spot.

The flame devil took a moment to catch his breath, placing his right hand over his heart, as if to settle it down. “Just what was all of this?” he whispered aloud. Of course, no answer came from the white and gray skies, nor did he expect one to magically appear in his own mind. With another shaky sigh leaving his chest, Ivlis decided it would be best to follow along. After all, the kids were still here to watch over. Though, something told him that he was the one that needed to be supervised.

His wet boots dripped across the tiling as he headed inside, the large wooden doors soon drifting shut as if of their own accord to shut out the blanket of snow that both chilled and covered this strange, strange world ruled by an even more peculiar devil.


End file.
